Quoth I to myself, “Verily, if the owner of this voice be fair, she conjoineth beauty of person and eloquence and sweetness of voice.” Then I drew near the door, and began raising the curtain little by little, when lo! I beheld a damsel, white as a full moon when it mooneth on its fourteenth night, with joined eyebrows twain and languorous lids of eyne, breasts like pomegranates twin and dainty lips like double carnelian, a mouth as it were the seal of Solomon, and teeth ranged in a line that played with the reason of proser and rhymer, even as saith the poet:—
O pearly mouth of friend, who set those pretty pearls in line, ✿ And filled thee full of whitest chamomile and reddest wine?
Who lent the morning-glory in thy smile to shimmer and shine ✿ Who with that ruby-padlock dared thy lips to seal and sign!
Who looks on thee at early morn with stress of joy and bliss ✿ Goes mad for aye, what then of him who wins a kiss of thine?
And as saith another:—
O pearl-set mouth of friend ✿ Pity poor Ruby’s cheek;
Boast not o’er one who owns ✿ Thee, union and unique.
In brief she comprised all varieties of loveliness and was a seduction to men and women, nor could the gazer satisfy himself with the sight of her charms; for she was as the poet hath said of her:—
When comes she, slays she; and when back she turns, ✿ She makes all men regard with loving eyes:
A very sun! a very moon! but still ✿ From hurt and harmful ills her nature flies.